West Side vs. East side Bear

[Pegasus]

The only bad bear I've had (it was really BAD) was one that I took to a butcher straight from the field because it was August and I wanted to cool it down.  Probably should have bought coolers and ice.  I assume they ground it fat and all.  It was eating berries but about every 3rd bite would make you want to puke.  I assume that is from lack of trimming the fat but I don't know.

Bear fat is delicious. And butchers generally suck.

My Dad used to use bear fat as a hair loss treatment. Mom quickly put a stop to that nonsense so my Dad, unfortunately, ended up looking like a cueball.

[Angry Perch]

My dad swears bear is the worst meat, but from what I've been reading (scored Steve Rinella's big/small game books) and the general consensus from talking to others so far is it's great, you just have to be a smidge picky on what you bag. And to ensure you freeze it whatfer trichinosis.

In all reality I'd rather bag a blacktail, but the skills to bag them seem much higher, and restrictions seem much lower on bear so I'll I'm going to focus on that front.

Bear meat is great. But remember it’s the cooking it well done to 165 that’s Important not the freezing part. I have come to the conclusion everyone who says bear meat is bad made that decision because someone else said it was bad. “It’s bad because everyone know bear is bad” old wise tails kinda things. All my life I have never had bad tasting meat..

Maybe a coastal brown bear living off salmon is a different story or something..

I agree on cooking vs freezing for reliably killing trichinosis, but you don't need to get near 165.

[Wanttohuntmore]

Was hoping freezing would work but the CDC disagrees.   Just cook it well.   https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/trichinellosis/gen_info/faqs.html#:~:text=Curing%20(salting)%2C%20drying%2C,C)%20to%20kill%20any%20worms.

[7mmfan]

I killed my first bear last year. A west side berry fed bear. It was some of the finest game meat I've ever eaten. I trimmed the fat entirely and cooked the backstraps to 165ish. Delicious. Late August is when black berries really start to ripen up in logging country. Shoot for that time through mid September for your best opportunity at a berry fed bear here. 

[dilleytech]

My dad swears bear is the worst meat, but from what I've been reading (scored Steve Rinella's big/small game books) and the general consensus from talking to others so far is it's great, you just have to be a smidge picky on what you bag. And to ensure you freeze it whatfer trichinosis.

In all reality I'd rather bag a blacktail, but the skills to bag them seem much higher, and restrictions seem much lower on bear so I'll I'm going to focus on that front.

Bear meat is great. But remember it’s the cooking it well done to 165 that’s Important not the freezing part. I have come to the conclusion everyone who says bear meat is bad made that decision because someone else said it was bad. “It’s bad because everyone know bear is bad” old wise tails kinda things. All my life I have never had bad tasting meat..

Maybe a coastal brown bear living off salmon is a different story or something..

I agree on cooking vs freezing for reliably killing trichinosis, but you don't need to get near 165.

Some places state 160, some 165. It’s not the same trik your hoping to kill in pork.

[GASoline71]

In all the years I've hunted the west side (40+), I've never seen a bear eating fish.  Only berries and stripping tree bark, or tearing apart stumps.  I've hunted along rivers and streams, and have seen Black Bears near the water, but only drinking it or wading through, or swimming in it.

Hoping for a berry fattened west side bruin this year myself.

Gary

[dilleytech]

In all the years I've hunted the west side (40+), I've never seen a bear eating fish.  Only berries and stripping tree bark, or tearing apart stumps.  I've hunted along rivers and streams, and have seen Black Bears near the water, but only drinking it or wading through, or swimming in it.

Hoping for a berry fattened west side bruin this year myself.

Gary

I see them eating fish along the banks of drano in southern wa in the summer time often. But I can’t hunt those bears so I can’t comment. The bears I have eaten are mostly eating berries or fruit and they all tasted the same.

[Turner89]

The first bear i shot was November 5th on bear creek . He was eating some nasty spawned out salmon. He stunk so bad it was hard to get him cut up. I took it to the butcher. That thing was awful. I figured that would be my last bear because there was no way i was eating that again. About 5 years later I helped a friend get his bear out of the woods. This one was up higher and eating black berries. I noticed he didn't stink at all. I took a steak home to see if there was a difference.  It was great.  I went out and got a tag and try to get one every year now. I like it as much as venison and sometimes more.   
  That fish bear was the last animal I took into the butcher. Not because I doubt there work, just enjoy cutting them up myself.   

 Don't hunt the river for bear when the fish are spawning.🤮

[Skyvalhunter]

It didn't taste like fish?

[Sundance]

In August I've seen bears within a few miles of the salt at seas level and as high as 3000-4000'. I've never really noticed an issue with them eating spawned salmon until the chum salmon run. Anything after late October would be my only concern and if that were the case I'd just stay away from the rivers.

[konradcountry]

The trick with any game meat is to eat canada goose first.

[duckmen1]

The trick with any game meat is to eat canada goose first.

If cooked properly it is amazing. Most overcook it and in my opinion that drastically changes the flavor and makes it disgusting. Yes I'm off topic I'm talking about goose. Medium to medium rare.

[dilleytech]

The trick with any game meat is to eat canada goose first.

That’s not fair.. goose is great.

[huntingaddiction]

Just don't shoot one next to a river with salmon running up it.  Hunt clear cuts with berries in them.

[konradcountry]

The trick with any game meat is to eat canada goose first.

If cooked properly it is amazing. Most overcook it and in my opinion that drastically changes the flavor and makes it disgusting. Yes I'm off topic I'm talking about goose. Medium to medium rare.

Amazing? Ok send me a recipe. I've had it cooked medium rare and it was just OK. Better than farm goose, I'll give it that.